TimeGate Studios
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Alan Chaveleh, Adel Chaveleh |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Sugar Land, Texas , United States |
| Products | Kohan series, Axis & Allies, F.E.A.R. expansions, Section 8 series, Aliens: Colonial Marines |
TimeGate Studios was a United States-based video game developer located in Sugar Land, Texas. Established in 1998, the company produced eight games before ceasing operations in 2013.
History
Founded by Alan and Adel Chaveleh, who took on the roles of chairman and president respectively, TimeGate Studios partnered with several leading publishers such as Vivendi Games, Take-Two Interactive, Atari, Ubisoft, SouthPeak Games, and Gamecock Media Group.
Releases
The studio's initial foray into real-time strategy came with Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns, which received widespread critical praise and secured numerous “Strategy Game of the Year” accolades in 2001 from outlets including Computer Gaming World, PC Gamer, and Computer Games Magazine. Its standalone expansion, Kohan: Ahriman’s Gift, was released later that same year. The early success of the Kohan series earned TimeGate a nomination for “Rookie Studio of the Year” by the IGDA in 2001.
In September 2004, TimeGate launched Kohan II: Kings of War, which was recognized as a “Top 10 Game” by Computer Games Magazine. Shortly thereafter, in November, the studio collaborated with Atari to bring out Axis & Allies, a real-time strategy adaptation of the well-known World War II board game. This title remains TimeGate’s highest-selling release.
Transitioning into first-person shooters, TimeGate developed F.E.A.R. Extraction Point, an expansion pack for Vivendi’s horror FPS F.E.A.R, released in October 2006. It was honored as “Best Expansion Pack of 2006” by PC Gamer. The studio followed up with F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate and compiled these expansions into F.E.A.R. Files for Xbox 360 in November 2007.
In September 2009, TimeGate introduced Section 8, a science fiction FPS available on Xbox 360 and PC, with a PlayStation 3 version arriving in March 2010. The company announced intentions to expand the franchise, releasing the downloadable sequel Section 8: Prejudice in April 2011.
Toward the end of 2012, TimeGate played a role in developing the sci-fi FPS Aliens: Colonial Marines, subcontracted by Gearbox Software and published by Sega. Despite multiple patches after launch, the game was released prematurely and met with unfavorable reviews. This situation resulted in layoffs affecting twenty-five employees at TimeGate.
In early 2013, TimeGate revealed plans for a new free-to-play project titled Minimum, aiming for release by the end of that year.
Bankruptcy
On May 1, 2013, TimeGate Studios initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection proceedings in Texas Southern Bankruptcy Court. The company reported debts ranging from $10 million to $50 million owed to creditors including Epic Games, Agora Games, DJ2 Entertainment, Birthplace Management Group, and SouthPeak Interactive. Additionally, TimeGate faced $7.35 million in damages and forfeiture of the Section 8 license due to a fraud lawsuit involving SouthPeak.
The dispute between TimeGate and SouthPeak began in 2009 when TimeGate filed suit over unpaid royalties and localization issues related to Section 8. SouthPeak responded with a countersuit alleging insufficient financial commitment from TimeGate. Arbitration favored SouthPeak, granting them $7.35 million and control over the Section 8 license. Although this decision was reversed in March 2013, it was reinstated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in April that year. Subsequently, SouthPeak sought to convert TimeGate’s Chapter 11 case into Chapter 7 liquidation proceedings, effectively shutting down the studio. By May 2013, reports confirmed that TimeGate had ceased operations.
Games
- Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns (2001)
- Kohan: Ahriman's Gift (2001)
- Kohan II: Kings of War (2004)
- Axis & Allies (2004)
- F.E.A.R. Extraction Point (2006)
- F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate (2007)
- F.E.A.R. Files (2007)
- Section 8 (2009)
- Section 8: Prejudice (2011)
- Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013)